1 Croak

July 21st, 2019...

"Who is that?" A young man with short red hair while wearing a black suit asked, standing next to another man with short black hair wearing a similar suit.

"Who?" The short black-haired man asked in turn, adjusting their tie.

"That guy, obviously?" They point over at a longer-haired man with black hair, wearing a long overcoat, though similar in style as the other police personnel there.

"That guy?" The short black-haired one pointed to them, an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, who is he?"

The black-haired man plopped his fist into an open palm, "Oh, yeah!" He paused for a moment, proudly wagging their finger, "He's a Witch Hunter from Grief. You're supposed to be his advisor from now on. Forgot to tell you!" He scratched the back of his head nervously. The red-haired one gave an annoyed expression before leaving to talk to the long-haired man, hands in their pockets.

"Hello there?" The red-haired man tapped the long-haired one's shoulder to get their attention, causing them to turn around.

"Yes?"

"I'm Alex Jung, ex-detective, currently your advisor." He reached his hand out for a handshake, giving the long-haired man a professional smile in turn. The long-haired man rolled up their sleeve, grabbing onto Alex's hand.

"Norayr Pogosian, Witch Hunter. Just call me Nora."

"Nice to meet you, Nora," Alex paused for a moment as they both let go from one another's hands. "I have a question, well... multiple."

"About the brothel?"

"No," Alex waved their hand in denial, "No, no, no, I just have some questions regarding my reassignment."

"Fire away." Nora pointed to Alex lazily, dead-eyed.

"Isn't the Witch Hunter initiative optional? Why was I forcefully assigned?"

Nora pressed his lips together, thinking of an answer, "How do I put this...?" He paused, "Y'know how Grief and the police tend to collaborate in investigations and such?"

"Right, they're obligated to."

"This includes Grief using members of the force permanently, though you could just give up at being a police officer altogether," Nora sighed, "Grief tends to lack manpower so sometimes a police officer or two will be assigned as an advisor for a Witch Hunter, and if the Witch Hunter dies... it's like an inheritance. Witch Hunters don't live long after all. Advisor sometimes has even shorter lives..."

"Do you think I'd live long?"

A clicking noise came from inside Nora's pockets as he clicked his tongue rhythmically in thought, "In the police force, they always choose the best officers to become advisors. Plus... nobody dies on my watch, and that ain't a bluff either."

"Ummm... I've been meaning to ask."

Another click, "What is it?"

"That clicking noise..."

"You mean this thing?" Nora took out a watch, shaking it making a chain connected to it rattle.

"A watch?" Alex pressed his lips together, taking out a phone with a raised eyebrow.

"It's not for telling time if that was what you're asking."

"Keepsake?"

"It's so I can be lazy."

"What do you mean by that?"

Nora stared blankly at a neon sign above showing Japanese letters, the English translation sitting right below it, "I'll tell you later." Tying up his hair, he began to enter the brothel.

"Where are you going? Nora!?"

Gun in hand, Nora entered the brothel, immediately being met by the end of a shotgun, a moment of silence overtakes the room. Nora's stomach was blown to smithereens before he could do anything, blood spraying across the room as his guts spilled out onto the floor, firing once in the gunman's direction, missing and hitting one cabinet within an array of them, unhinging the cabinet door slightly. The gunman flinches, shotgun still in hand.

Another click, "That clicking noise." Nora shook his head, getting out his previously dazed state, "Nora?"

"Hm?"

"What are you spacing out for?" Nora once again left, "Where are you going!?"

Nora kicked open the door to the brothel, storming inside and immediately firing onto the gunman from before, killing him with two shots from his pistol hitting the gunmen in his forehead and cheek. Nora went down a hallway as the gunman collapsed in their seat, leaving a loud thud as he left the lobby of the brothel. Not even seconds after entering the hallway, debris flew everywhere in multiple directions, people within the room using machine guns to kill Nora, firing into his body multiple times before collapsing onto the ground, covered in blood.

Again, "That clicking noise."